Rare Porsche brings intense bidding drama to Silverstone Auctions

A rare Porsche has topped a sale at Silverstone Auctions, after sparking an intense bidding war which pushed the final price to more than half a million pounds.

The car caused drama in the auction room, and reportedly drew gasps from the crowd, as two competing collectors upped their bids until it reached a final price of £556,875 ($725,500).

The limited edition 1993 Porsche 911 Turbo S Leichtbau was one of only 86 examples ever produced, and had been described as "one of the most exciting 911s available with unique rarity and stunning looks".

"It was fantastic to see such drama and excitement in the sale room today and the great results for our vendors reflected that," said Nick Whale, managing director of Silverstone Auctions.

The Ferrari Daytona tool roll which sold for an amazing £12,000 (Images: Silverstone Auctions)

There were strong results for Porsches throughout the sale, with several examples exceeding their estimates, including a 1989 Porsche 911 Speedster which sold for £164,250 ($214,000); a 1961 Porsche 356B Cabriolet which realized £123,750 ($161,200); and a 1991 944 Turbo Cabriolet which sold for £39,375 ($51,300).

And further six-figure sums were achieved by cars including a 1965 Jaguar Series 1 Roadster which fetched £112,500 ($146,452); a 1989 Ferrari 328 GTS which sold for £103,500 ($134,740); and a 1971 Aston Martin DB6 Mark II Vantage which achieved an impressive £348,750 ($454,000).

One of the most striking results of the day came during the Automobilia section of the sale, when a highly rare vintage tool roll for a Ferrari Daytona 365 GTB/4 sold for £12,000 ($15,630).

These original tool rolls are often the last missing piece for collectors restoring classic cars, and it seems a Daytona owner was willing to spend big to complete a project.

"Surely, this must be a world record for a toolkit,” commented Whale after the sale.